Douglas-Hamilton

Douglas-Hamilton is the family surname of the Dukes of Hamilton and Earls of
Selkirk. The name originates from the marriage of Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of
Hamilton to William Douglas, 1st Earl of Selkirk in 1656. Anne was Duchess in
her own right and head of the "House of Hamilton". William was a younger son of
the Marquess of Douglas.

Lord Selkirk changed the surname of his family
to Douglas-Hamilton upon his marriage to Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton in the
17thc. He did not change his own surname as that was the same as his peerage, so
Selkirk became Hamilton.

Upon the death of a cousin, the Duke of
Douglas, in 1761 without heir, his subsidiary titles and the nominal seniority
of the "House of Douglas", were devolved onto the 7th Duke of Hamilton.

These
titles are:

Marquess of Douglas

Earl of Angus

Lord Abernethy and
Jedburgh Forest

The
Arms of the Head of the House are:Quarterly; 1st and 4th grandquarters,
counterquartered (i) and (iv) Gules,three cinquefoils Ermine (for Hamilton),
(ii) and (iii) Argent, a lymphad Sable, sails furled proper, flagged-Gules (for
The Isles (Arran)); 2nd and 3rd grandquarters, Argent, a man's heart Gules
ensigned with an imperial crown proper, on a chief Azure three stars of the
First (for Douglas).